HST: Chapter 218/219

Chapter 218: Opening the Stomach and Aiming

After Tesoro finished experimenting with the artificial Devil Fruit, everyone's expressions grew warmer.

As advertised, it was indeed possible to create people with Zoan-type abilities.

"Although it has the drawback of removing emotions, that can actually be an advantage when given to your subordinates."

Many underworld kings were quite satisfied after seeing the effects of the artificial Devil Fruit.

It didn't matter if it was slightly inferior to natural Devil Fruits, as long as the numbers were impressive.

Losing emotions was no big deal. Subordinates only needed to fight. Emotional matters were for the bosses to enjoy.

"The first artificial Devil Fruit was taken by the Golden Emperor, Tesoro. I believe everyone has seen its effects. But for something like this, it's always better to experiment more. Don't you agree?"

"Besides, only one person will get the artificial Devil Fruit technology today. The rest of you might still be able to research something from the fruit itself."

Morgans spoke with a smile, his tone laced with a subtle allure.

"That does make sense."

Even Peclo was tempted.

After seeing Tesoro's experiment, they initially lost interest in paying so much for an artificial Devil Fruit.

But if they could learn something from the fruit itself, it would be extremely valuable.

There could only be one winner for the technology, and they couldn't compete with the likes of Tesoro or Lu Feld.

Even if they tried to rob it later, they wouldn't match the strength of someone like Katakuri.

If they could somehow deduce the technology from the fruit, it would be a huge gain. Although the chance was small, people liked to dream.

Even if they couldn't reverse-engineer the technology, finding a weakness in the artificial Devil Fruit would still be worthwhile.

Seeing the big shots interested, Morgans wore a proud expression. "The starting price for the second artificial Devil Fruit is also 100 million Berries, with each bid no less than 10 million!"

Soon, even those who had just complained about the price, like Peclo, began bidding.

"One hundred thirty million!"

"One hundred forty million!"

"One hundred fifty million! Any higher?"

"One hundred eighty million! Peclo, bids 180 million. It seems he has spent all his savings!"

Morgans' lively call was accompanied by a jab at Peclo, who had been uncooperative earlier.

"This damn birdman!"

Peclo's face instantly darkened as he glared at Morgans.

He insults me when I don't buy, and he insults me when I do. Does he have any shame?

The only good news was that no one else competed with him for this one.

"Congratulations to the Major Undertaker, Peclo, for obtaining the second artificial Devil Fruit with 180 million Berries!"

With no further bids, Morgans regretfully announced Peclo as the winner.

The next three artificial Devil Fruits were also sold for prices around 200 million Berries.

Those five fruits alone brought Caelan a profit of 1 billion Berries, far exceeding their actual worth.

In the stands, Caelan and Gion were quietly watching the show together. Because the crowd was mixed, there were inevitably some ignorant troublemakers. Nami, Robin, and the others had been sent elsewhere, leaving only Gion at his side.

"Caelan, they're willing to spend 200 million Berries on artificial Devil Fruits. Do they really think they can deduce the technology from them?"

Gion found it laughable.

The first artificial Devil Fruit had been the perfected version developed by Vegapunk. Later, Caesar, using an artificial Mythical Beast Fruit similar to Kaido-sama's but with a different color, went to great lengths to develop his own defective version.

Did these people really think they wouldn't just produce a pile of junk by researching defective products?

"The idea of reverse-engineering the technology from an artificial Devil Fruit is just a slim hope for them. What they really want is to find a fatal weakness to counter it."

Caelan explained calmly.

These underworld kings were shrewd. They weren't desperate gamblers—they were the type of black-hearted bosses who made gamblers lose everything.

He was certain they wouldn't bet their future on reverse-engineering the technology. Instead, they would focus on identifying loopholes.

Because once one of them obtained the technology, they would inevitably expand their subordinate forces, squeezing out the power of the others.

"I see. That suits these guys perfectly."

Gion nodded in agreement.

As a former Marine Admiral candidate, she had dealt with them many times. Preparing for trouble before it came was exactly their style.

Whenever the world shifted, they were always the first to react.

But this time, they seemed blind to the deeper threat.

"What's an artificial Devil Fruit compared to you? You're the true source of unrest on the seas."

"And they're still throwing money at you. Do they want to buy themselves a better grave?"

Gion's voice was soft but pointed.

Caelan, who had founded the Neo Navy and the Illuminati, clearly had ambitions to rule the world.

After spending so much time with him, she knew he would never tolerate these underworld kings, just like he wouldn't tolerate the World Government.

The only reason they didn't see it was because they were overconfident in their abilities and status, thinking Caelan couldn't overthrow the World Government.

But Gion could see it clearly. With Caelan's methods, it was only a matter of time.

"You see things very clearly."

Caelan stroked her hair and smiled.

Just as she thought, in his eyes, these bidding underworld kings were merely lambs waiting for the slaughter.

Once his strength grew enough to take them all at once, he would move in.

The battle of Dressrosa had made him realize this point even more.

A man could only eat as much as his stomach could hold.

Doflamingo's global operations had been left untouched simply because of a lack of manpower.

Since he was already nearly invincible, there was no reason to rush and waste resources.

"Then they're already guilty."

Gion smiled faintly with a sigh.

These kings, usually so powerful in the underworld, were nothing more than piggy banks in Caelan's eyes.

They probably never imagined someone would look down on them like this.

"Let them live a few more days. When the time comes, we'll harvest them all at once. It will be quite the haul."

"But for now, they're spending my money on my merchandise."

Caelan already regarded all these kings as his property.

Allowing them to buy his goods with his own money was an act of generosity.

"That's an interesting way to put it."

Gion couldn't help but laugh. If the people in the audience heard that, who knew how they'd react.

"Let's keep watching. The five artificial Devil Fruits are just the appetizer. Our main attraction will appear at the end."

Caelan said calmly, then looked down.

Five artificial Devil Fruits had sold for a total of 1 billion Berries.

So how much would Caesar, the man proficient in artificial Devil Fruit technology, sell for?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 219: Main Dish

"The highlight of this auction is the artificial Devil Fruit technology that everyone has been dreaming about!"

As Morgans spoke, Gecko Moria brought out Caesar Clown, who was bound with Seastone handcuffs, and led him to the auction platform.

The moment Caesar appeared, he immediately drew countless heated gazes.

Everyone here knew that the true centerpiece of this auction was not just the technology, but Caesar himself.

They were satisfied with this arrangement.

After all, technology could be faked, but a person could not.

As a former scientist of the MADS organization, Caesar was a world-famous figure in the scientific community. Anyone with intelligence sources understood his value.

At this time, Caesar looked haggard and trembled under the weight of so many fiery stares.

He felt like a lamb to the slaughter, utterly terrified.

Morgans ignored Caesar's fear, gripping his shoulder and introducing him with enthusiasm.

"This is the inventor of the artificial Devil Fruit technology, one of the most brilliant scientists in the world! The artificial Devil Fruit technology is stored entirely in his mind!"

"Moreover, this scientist has made great achievements in other fields as well. Buying him means not only obtaining the technology to create artificial Devil Fruits, but also other potential surprises!"

"Even the current artificial Devil Fruit technology could be further improved under his research!"

Morgans' words were so exaggerated they nearly made Caesar sound like Vegapunk himself, a thousand times over.

Am I really that great?

If I'm so amazing, why are you selling me?

Caesar looked at Morgans with a dazed expression, dizzy from the praise, momentarily forgetting his own dire situation.

After Morgans' introduction, the atmosphere in the audience became serious.

"Hahaha, Caesar Clown, I'm determined to win you!"

Tesoro stared at Caesar like a rare treasure.

With Caesar's artificial Devil Fruit technology and his own financial power, he could quickly build a legion of ability users.

With money, influence, and the overwhelming power of his awakened Gold-Gold Fruit, the position of Yonko would no longer be out of reach.

Endless ambition flared in Tesoro's eyes as he looked toward Caelan on the high platform.

A real man should take the stage like this!

"This guy is far too arrogant."

Underworld figures like Lu Feld, Giberson, and Peclo all frowned.

At the moment, Tesoro was the biggest obstacle in their path to acquiring the artificial Devil Fruit technology.

And the Golden Emperor truly had the capital to be arrogant.

His Gold-Gold Fruit gave him wealth beyond imagination.

Even the wealthiest among them, like Lu Feld, could not match him in financial might.

Bid first, and if things go wrong, deal with him afterward.

The three underworld kings exchanged silent glances, instantly forming a temporary alliance.

They would not allow Tesoro to obtain it so easily. Even if he won, they would ensure he never took it home.

"Hah, just a bunch of clowns."

Tesoro had noticed their little exchange but paid it no mind.

He was the Golden Emperor!

His strength was second only to the Yonko's top commanders, and he was confident he could retreat even if the others joined forces.

What's more, he had the Shipping King Umit as an ally. With Umit's unmatched shipping network, escape was guaranteed.

On the other side, Katakuri and his group were also watching Caesar with burning eyes.

"He's finally here… Caesar Clown!"

Katakuri looked at Caesar as if staring at prey.

The Big Mom Pirates didn't care about artificial Devil Fruits. They were here to settle a score.

"So this is the man who dared to deceive Mama? He looks so pathetic now."

Smoothie gritted her teeth.

Caesar had once swindled Big Mom out of a large research fund for his human gigantification project, producing nothing in return.

Her mother's resulting rage had brought them no small amount of suffering.

Seeing Caesar now, Smoothie wanted nothing more than to repay every bit of that pain.

"Smoothie, don't be hasty."

Katakuri's voice was low and steady.

He too wanted to take Caesar immediately, but now was not the time.

He glanced at the man standing high above the stage, overlooking everyone. The pressure from Caelan's silent gaze felt like a cold, sharp blade.

Even entertaining the thought of making a move here felt unbearable.

"As soon as anyone takes action, the place will erupt into chaos. Even if Caelan is strong, he won't be able to suppress everyone at once."

"Brother, can't we at least try?"

Smoothie's eyes stayed locked on Caesar, her voice low.

With so many restless figures in the crowd, it would only take one spark for a fight to break out. In the confusion, they might have a chance to snatch Caesar.

She believed that with Katakuri's strength, he could escape from Caelan unscathed.

Katakuri glanced at his sister, inwardly thinking she overestimated him.

Try it?

Trying would mean death.

"Don't start a fight in Dressrosa. Even if someone else makes the first move, we will not follow."

"This God Slayer is even more terrifying than Mama. He's a genuine Yonko. I'm no match for him."

Katakuri stressed again and again just how dangerous Caelan was, warning Smoothie not to act recklessly.

Otherwise, she would be captured and killed the moment she moved.

"…I see."

Smoothie nodded quietly, surprised that Katakuri, the pride of the Charlotte family, didn't even have the courage to fight Caelan.

It was hard to believe, but Katakuri's ability to foresee the future meant his judgment could be trusted.

Seeing her comply, Katakuri said, "Forget it for now. We'll just rob someone else after the auction. Compared to him, they're much weaker."

Only then did some confidence return to his voice.

However, if he had known there were two Marine Admirals and another Yonko hidden in the crowd, that confidence would have vanished instantly.

At that moment, the sight of Caesar made Aokiji, who had been dozing, open his eyes.

"Be ready, Borsalino."

Aokiji spoke softly while Kizaru was still absentminded.

This was not the time to slack off.

"Yes, understood."

Kizaru straightened up, scanning the crowd alongside Aokiji.

As soon as someone successfully won Caesar, they planned to give that person an unpleasant surprise.

If the two Admirals moved together, not even a Yonko could take Caesar away safely.

Unbeknownst to them, Kaido was observing from the back.

"Those two in front… are they Kizaru and Aokiji?"

"I didn't expect them to be here as well."

Kaido's eyes narrowed, his interest piqued.

Originally, he had planned to make a direct grab, but now that he had spotted the two Admirals, he quickly discarded the idea.

If he tried to snatch Caesar now, he would face not only Caelan but also everyone else present.

With two Admirals working alongside Caelan, even Kaido of the Beasts would not have an easy time.

And so, one move affected another, with the balance of victory shifting in an instant.

(To be continued.)